Yoruba Nollywood actress Funke Etti has opened up about one of the toughest moments in her career, revealing how a director tried to lure her into sex for a lead role and then sabotaged her after she said no.
She shared the experience during an interview on the Doyin Kukoyi TV podcast and began with a message of perspective.
“In all things, one must give thanks. I am certain of one thing and it’s that there’s nothing one is, has been, or will be that’s permanent. If they say you’re the best at something at the moment, it cannot go on forever. And if they say you’re the worst person to be affiliated with at the moment, it also won’t go on forever.”
She emphasised the need for wisdom and divine guidance in every situation.
“One thing that sticks with me is that I must always use my wisdom in all situations and to ask the divine for direction. I usually say not everyone has to be slept with. If you’re sure about your skills, even if they overlook you for 10 years, they’ll still come and ask for your services. Anyone who knows about your capacity will call you.”
The actress rejected the idea that sex is always required for roles in recent times.
“I don’t believe that in recent times, they ask for sex for roles every time because knowing your work really well will open doors for you. If I charge a producer for a role and they disagree, I’ll let them go because that’s not God’s will for me. There are some things that will never happen as long as God has not willed it for you no matter your connections.”
Recalling the specific incident, she said:
“I’ve been on a movie set where the producer told me I would play the lead role, but the director said I should come and see him in his room. This is the one time something like that happened to me. As someone who respects authority, I went. He tried to lure me into having sex with him, but I refused. Shockingly, after I said no, the director went behind me to tell the producer that I wasn’t perfect for the role and got me kicked off the project.”
Funke maintained she felt no lasting pain.
“I swear to God, I wasn’t pained because I know that wasn’t God’s will for me. If I forced myself on the job, something bad could have happened. After a couple of years, the same person that sent me out of that set came back to work with me.”
Funke Etti, known for films such as Oloku Ada, Abebi, and several other Yoruba productions, has built a steady career through talent and resilience. Her story adds to ongoing conversations about ethics, power dynamics and professionalism within the Nigerian movie industry.